About Us
Singers of Summerville is a choral group based in beautiful Summerville, South Carolina, made up of thirty to fifty musicians from the greater Charleston area.
About our group
Singers of Summerville presents 2-3 performances per year and is available for community events or special performances. Our members, ages 18-80, are a diverse group – teachers, musicians, medical professionals, attorneys, business leaders, retirees, and students – all sharing a passion for choral singing.
We are a non-profit organization, funded in part by the South Carolina Arts Commission, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts. Our primary sources of financial support come from concert ticket sales, member dues, patrons, donors, sponsors, and grants. Entrance into the choir is obtained through competitive audition.
Ryan Pagels,
Artistic Director
& Conductor
Ryan Pagels is a highly sought after conductor, composer, and pianist, and is currently serving as the Director of Music at the Unitarian Church of Charleston. Before moving to Charleston, Ryan was the Director of Music at St. John’s Episcopal Church, Interim and then Assistant Artistic Director for the Cumberland Choral Arts, and Collaborative Pianist at Methodist University in Fayetteville, NC. Before Fayetteville, Ryan resided in Florida where he served as the Artistic Director and Conductor for the Marion Civic Chorale, Director of Music at Countryside Presbyterian Church. He also served as Chorusmaster for the Ocala Symphony Orchestra and worked as a vocal coach at Stetson University for the voice studios and the Opera program.
His studies have taken him to Stetson University, Georgia Southern University, and the University of Kentucky. He has also spent seven summers at the Adamant Music school, an international summer program for pianists. He also served as the Resident Music Director at the Ocala Civic Theatre and directed throughout Central Florida ranging from community to professional and equity productions.
In 2010, Ryan made his Carnegie Hall debut, collaborated on recitals with faculty from Julliard, and was the pianist for the opening ceremonies of the World Equestrian Games. In 2011, he made his international debut, concertizing in Italy as part of the Orfeo Music Festival. Ryan has also worked and concertized with a wide variety of musicians, including Audra McDonald, Marvin Hamlisch, Arlo Guthrie, and Wynonna Judd. In 2023, Ryan returned to Carnegie Hall to premiere the “Twilight Mass,” by Ola Gjelio, and has also premiered works by Eric Whitacre and John Tichelli.
Elaine Ross,
Accompanist
Dr. Elaine M. Ross is the President and CEO of The Southern Atlantic Conservatory of Music, a newly founded higher education institution intending to launch its inaugural curriculum in the Fall of 2028. She also currently serves on the faculty of Charleston Southern University and is a collaborative pianist for Low Country Piano. Dr. Ross recently served on the music theory faculty as head of aural skills and instructor of music theory at Morgan State University. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Ross was on the theory faculty at Towson University and Ohio University, served as the chair of music theory at the Colburn Conservatory in Los Angeles, CA, and as the coordinator of music theory/composition at Central Washington University.
Dr. Ross is a recording artist for the Albany label and is an extremely active and sought-after collaborative pianist. She has performed with such artists as Toby Oft, principal trombone of the Boston Symphony, Harry Watters, premiere jazz trombonist of the army blues(ret.), world renowned clarinetist Fred Ormand, and internationally acclaimed hornist Frank Lloyd, to name a few. Dr. Ross’ research interests include both the creative aspect of composition and theory pedagogy, including instructional approaches, the comparison of teaching results for perfect/absolute pitch vs. non-perfect pitch musicians, and the compilation of several pedagogical workbooks.
Dr. Ross is published by Southern Music Company, Sisra Press, and Triplo Press and has had performances throughout the United States and in France, Germany, Israel, and has numerous upcoming performances throughout the world. A complete catalogue of works, recordings and sample scores can be found at www.elainemross.com.
Dr. Valerie Bullock,
Past Artistic Director &
Conductor Emeritus,
2006-2020
Dr. Valerie Bullock is Professor Emeritus at Charleston Southern University, having retired June 30, 2016. At CSU she was Chair of the Horton School of Music, Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities, where she conducted the University Concert Singers and Bel Canto as well as coordinating choral music education. She received her Doctorate in Choral Music education from Florida State University and Master’s and Bachelor degrees from the University of South Carolina.
In addition to conducting the Singers of Summerville, she also served as the full-time Director of Music Ministries at Bethany United Methodist Church in Summerville from September 2016 until her retirement in September 2020. Dr. Bullock conducted the Bethany Chancel Choir, Chamber Singers, Men’s Ensemble, and Women’s Ensemble as well as overseeing the entire music program.
Dr. Bullock remains active as a consultant and adjudicator in the SC American Choral Directors Association and in 2022 was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award.
David A. Richardson,
Past Artistic Director
& Conductor,
2020 - 2023
David A. Richardson is a respected choral conductor, educator, singer, and keyboardist in the Charleston Tri-County area. The 2023-2024 school year will mark Mr. Richardson’s fifteenth year in Dorchester School District Two as Director of Choral Activities at Summerville High School. He taught in the Berkeley County School District as a band director prior to his tenure in DD2. Before becoming Director of Choral Activities at Summerville High School, he was director of Choral Activities at Rollings Middle School of the Arts and Fort Dorchester High School. His choirs at both Rollings and Fort Dorchester earned consistent superior ratings at festivals and adjudicated events and festivals. Mr. Richardson’s passion for choral music education reaches beyond the public school classroom as Adjunct Professor of Music Education at the College of Charleston, where he teaches courses in Elementary Music Methods, Secondary Music Methods, and Choral Literature.
Joe Swisher,
Assistant Conductor,
2017 - 2024
Joe Swisher taught general and choral music to over 15,000 students in four Berkeley County Schools for thirty-one years. A National Board Certified teacher, he led a large award-winning choral program at College Park Middle school for fourteen years. He also directed Berkeley County’s talented and gifted choral program each summer for most of his career.
Joe wrote, won, and administered several large grants for his programs through the years. He was elected Teacher of the Year by his peers, twice. Joe mentored several student teachers, and is proud of the remarkable number of his former students who currently teach music throughout the Lowcountry and beyond.
He earned a Bachelor of Education from West Virginia University, and studied school administration at Charleston Southern University. Additionally, he served as Music Director of Peace Presbyterian Church in Goose Creek for twenty-two years, and sang in the Charleston Symphony Orchestra Singers’ Guild for many years.
Joe has diverse interests, from real estate to technology to motorcycles, but his greatest joy comes from time with his wife, Carol, and their three grown children. Joe has sung with the Singers of Summerville since 2010.
Paul H. Fletcher,
Founding Director,
and conductor
2003 - 2006
Paul H. Fletcher founded and then directed the Singers of Summerville for three years. He currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia where he is Director of Music Ministries at Mt. Zion United Methodist Church.
While in the Summerville area, Paul was a vocal Artist in Residence at Charleston Southern University (CSU) where, in addition to maintaining an active voice studio, he taught a course in music appreciation and directed the university’s men’s chorus, the Singing Buccaneers.
Prior to coming to CSU, he served seven years as the Director of Music Ministries at Bethany United Methodist Church in Summerville, where he directed and oversaw a music program of twelve ensembles. In addition to South Carolina, he has served in churches and colleges in Alabama, Texas, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.